His fingers trailed gently over her skin, and she instinctively folded in on herself. "Please, don't do this. Please stop," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"I'm not hurting you, Giulietta," he murmured, his voice low and soothing. Yet his presence stirred something unfamiliar in her, a tingly sensation in her stomach that she desperately wanted to ignore.
"Please don't touch me… I'm naked," she choked out, tears streaming down her cheeks.
He paused, then shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, covering her trembling form. Lifting her gently, he adjusted the jacket to shield her entirely from his gaze. "Why are you here again?" she asked, her wide eyes glistening with tears.
Her gaze, so vulnerable and captivating, pulled him in deeper. He felt as though he were drowning in the depths of her innocence. "I couldn't help myself," he admitted, his voice barely audible.
"Stay away from me," she whispered, her voice cracking. "That girl… she's related to your mob thing, right?" The tears kept falling, unbidden and uncontrollable.
"I'm keeping my body for my husband," she continued, her voice a broken plea. "He's the only one meant to see me like this."
She sniffled, her shoulders trembling as she tried to compose herself. "I've tried so hard to be virtuous, holy, and beautiful. Why have you tainted me so?" Her sobs wracked her body.
He reached out, wiping away her tears with his thumb. But his hand lingered, trailing softly from her tear-streaked cheeks to the delicate curve of her neck and down to her shoulder.
Her reaction was immediate—she slapped his hand away and stood abruptly, intending to retreat to her room. But he caught her wrist, lifted her with ease, and settled back onto the couch, placing her on his lap, straddling him.
Her wide eyes reflected a mix of fear and confusion. She tried to scramble off his lap, but her position only made her movements more awkward. "What are you doing? Let me go!" she cried, wincing.
"Relax… I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered, pressing a feather-light kiss to her wrist.
"You're already hurting me, you… you barbarian!" she spat, her attempt at an insult met with a low chuckle from him.
"I'm sorry, darling, but you're breathtaking like this," he said, his gaze unabashedly roving over her.
A shiver coursed down her spine, unbidden and unwelcome. What was this strange thrill overtaking her? "Let go of me!" she demanded, her voice shaking.
"Stop struggling," he commanded softly but firmly, his voice steady. When she tried to scratch at his face, he caught her hands and pinned them gently but securely behind her back.
"Stop," he said again, his tone brooking no argument.
She froze, panting from exertion, her chest heaving.
"I just want to admire you, Giulietta," he whispered, his voice dark and intoxicating as his eyes lingered on her.
She burned under his gaze, her heart racing with conflicting emotions. "It's not for your eyes… it's for my husband," she insisted, her voice breaking.
His lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, but your body wants me, Giulietta," he rasped, his voice dripping with dark desire.
Her body betrayed her, reacting with a shiver she couldn't suppress. She told herself it was the cold, that the jacket wasn't thick enough to keep her warm.
Then he shifted her closer, positioning her fully on his lap. She gasped as she felt something firm beneath her.
"What… what is that?" she stammered, her face flushing with heat.
"That," he groaned, his voice thick with restraint, "is what you're doing to me."
His dark chuckle sent another shiver down her spine. But before his control could snap, he pulled her off his lap and set her down, stepping away from the dangerous line he was toeing.